Dogies dethrone Torrington in five-set thriller

The Newcastle Dogies delivered one of their most memorable victories of the season Friday night, rallying to knock off the Torrington Trailblazers in a five-set battle inside the Dogie Dome. The match, which went the distance before Newcastle prevailed 25-17, 25-27, 14-25, 25-21, 16-14, marked a signature win against a Torrington squad that entered the week sitting atop the 3A East standings.

Coming into the night, the Trailblazers had dropped just two conference matches all season, but the Dogies showed early that rankings wouldn’t matter. 

“The girls showed discipline and determination this weekend to come out on top in a five-set match against Torrington,” head coach Mickey Crabtree said.

Newcastle matched Torrington point for point with scrappy defense and aggressive serving, setting the tone for a night that would test their resilience and reward their determination.

After splitting the first two sets, Torrington surged ahead with a dominant third. Newcastle regrouped, however, feeding off its home crowd and turning the momentum behind its net play and relentless digging. The Dogies took the fourth set 25-21 to force a tiebreaker, then held off a furious Trailblazer rally to close out the fifth 16-14.

Adalyn Olson led the Dogies with 16 kills, five assists, and 25 digs, while Delainey Dresen added 10 kills and 24 digs. Setter Kyndal Von Eye dished out 31 assists and tallied a season-high 23 serves without an error. Senior Sydney Pederson was once again a stabilizing force with six kills and 31 digs, while junior Lillie Morrill chipped in six kills and 22 digs.

Newcastle also put up its best defensive performance at the net this season, combining for 15 total blocks, and the Dogies’ serving game was just as sharp with nine aces — both season highs.

“The girls had the most aces and blocks we’ve had all season,” Crabtree said.

The win improved Newcastle to 3–4 in the conference, which places them at fourth in the 3A East. More importantly, it served as a statement that the Dogies can compete with anyone in their conference as the second half of conference play continues. The Dogies will be in Douglas on Thursday to take on the undefeated conference front-runner. They’ll travel to Burns on Friday before closing out the regular season with a tilt in Glenrock the following week and a home game against Buffalo in the finale.

Dogie Statistical Highlights

Newcastle def. Torrington, 25-17, 25-27, 14-25, 25-21, 16-14
Leaders: Olson 16 kills, 25 digs, 5 assists; Dresen 10 kills, 24 digs; Pederson 6 kills, 31 digs; Morrill 6 kills, 22 digs; Von Eye 31 assists; Christensen 3 kills, 3 blocks; team totals — 9 aces, 15 blocks